Head Lines

Thursday, May 25, 2023

As a kid, I loved Christmas Eve more than Christmas Day. Perhaps it was because the anticipation on December 24th of Santa Claus and his accompanying magic was far greater than the disappointing reality experienced on December 25th of not having the necessary batteries to power my new battery-operated toy.

Similarly, as an adult, spring is my favoured season over summer. Spring is when I get to look ahead, enjoying the potential of approaching holiday time and an improved golf game, as opposed to the usual reality of hot and hazy summer days and another poor golf score.

In short, I enjoy planning and projecting ahead to future experiences.

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Thursday, May 18, 2023

I have been told by innumerable TCS alumni, both young and old, that their TCS friends are their best friends. I am sure that our school is not unique in this regard. But it appears to me that TCS friendships have an added depth.

Why is this the case?

There is no secret what factors contribute to lifelong friendships…a foundation of trust, honesty, shared experiences seem to top the list. Personally, I believe that the deepest bond is formed when people go through the inevitable ups and downs of adolescence together. And, there can be a lot of ups and downs over the course of an adolescent life at TCS.

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Thursday, May 11, 2023

This week, Mr. Myke Healy touches on the excitement, opportunities and challenges of the rapidly evolving world of generative AI. At TCS since 2004, Mr. Healy is the assistant head of Senior School - teaching & learning.

Written by guest blogger, Myke Healy

On last week’s episode of The New York Time’s Hard Fork podcast – which focuses on new technology such as generative artificial intelligence (AI) – I was surprised by the host’s answer to an ethical dilemma. An online gig worker questioned whether he should disclose to paying clients that he simply completed assigned tasks using ChatGPT. Host Casey Newton gleefully encouraged capitalization on this arbitrage, predicting it would only last until employers realized (in three months? in six months?) that the work could be done without paying a human.

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Wednesday, May 03, 2023

On May 1, 2023, TCS officially turned 158 years old. The School celebrated its birthday – or Founder’s Day – with a series of fun events including a dodgeball tournament, artistic endeavours, a BBQ lunch on the terraces and, of course, birthday cake.

On the annual anniversary of its inception, I always enjoy looking back at a collection of interesting historical facts related to Trinity College School’s early years:

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Thursday, April 27, 2023

According to a recent survey conducted by McKinsey & Company – “How does Gen Z see its place in the working world? With trepidation” (American Opportunity Survey; October 19, 2022) – young adults in the age range of 18 to 24 are “more likely to have independent jobs or multiple jobs than older workers.” And, this demographic of young adults reportedly also has higher levels of doubt “about their eventual ability to either buy homes or retire.”

Yikes. That’s a lot of lemons.

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Wednesday, April 19, 2023

A recent summer-like spell of warm weather on campus immediately brought to mind the coming end of term; and, for our graduating students, the end of their high school experience.

If you are a parent of a soon-to-be Grade 12 graduate (or a teen who will graduate in the next few years), you will soon learn that this milestone is a bittersweet moment. You are simultaneously proud of your child’s growth and maturity, while also perplexed by how quickly time has past, finding yourself reflecting upon when they were a young child.

As a parent of three TCS graduates, I know the feeling. And, today, I come bearing good news.

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Thursday, April 13, 2023

This week, Grade 12 student-athletes, Jasmine De Pencier and Malinka Kwemo, share their thoughts on the importance of the girls rugby program at TCS and reflect on their team’s recent successes.

Written by guest bloggers, Jasmine De Pencier and Malinka Kwemo

Rugby is one of the most taxing sports. It takes the strongest athlete, both mentally and physically, to willingly step on a field where everyone’s goal is to bring you to the ground. This is also what makes it so special; you would only play rugby if you love it. That means that every player on the field, and every keen player on the bench waiting to get on, has a love for the sport beyond any fear of getting tackled. Rugby is a sport where the lows are low and the highs are high, but the game is always played with respect for everyone involved whether it be players, coaches or referees.

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Thursday, April 06, 2023

At the end of a typical work day, if you are asked by a colleague, friend or partner, “how was your day?” I would venture a guess that you might provide a rather brief response, somewhere on the spectrum between “good” and “glad it’s over.”

Should the conversation continue about a specific aspect of your workday, do you tend to focus on a positive or negative aspect of your day? I am guessing that your answer to this question is: it depends. But, it is surprising how many of us focus on the issues that frustrate us or that didn’t go the way we had hoped.

And what about world issues? In the company of colleagues, friends or your partner, do you share your thoughts about the state of the world? Do you suggest that the future of the world is looking better or worse? (If you are watching the same news that I am watching, I would bet you might be saying “worse!”)

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Thursday, March 30, 2023

When you were a kid, did you think that if you jumped up in the air when you were flying in an airplane that you would be thrown backward and hit the back of the plane? That’s what I wondered, as a child. After all, my youthful logic seemed sound: if the plane was moving approximately 900 km/hr, and I was standing still (travelling at 0 km/hr), if I jumped up in the air, the speedy plane would travel under my feet and I would be thrown to the back of the aircraft.

Clearly, a future career in aviation or science was not looking promising for me at a very young age. Of course, what I learned was that both the plane and I would be travelling at 900 km/hr.

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Thursday, March 09, 2023

Does it not seem to you that the stakes are higher in education and, generally, in everything, everywhere these days?

While it might feel that way, I think in response to such an assessment, it would be fair to say, “It depends.”

For example, if you look at the world at a political leadership level, polls over the past 50 years show that our collective trust in government leaders has declined in recent years. And, if we look at the world through a scientific lens, we are able to measure that, indeed, the planet is getting warmer. Not good. And the list of global maladies goes on and on.

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